Rights & Responsibilities

At Bristol Hospital, you have the right to:

• Receive information about your rights prior to being a patient or before discontinuing care whenever possible.
• Considerate and respectful care, in a safe environment.
• Receive visitors that you have designated unless their presence infringes on others’ rights, safety or is therapeutically contraindicated and the right to withdraw the consent for a person to visit. 
• Personal privacy and the confidentiality of your medical record. 
• Be treated with dignity.
• Obtain from your physician and other caregivers relevant, current and understandable information concerning diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.
• Be informed about and participate in your care and treatment plans.
• Have your physician and a family member or other person of your choice notified of your admission to the hospital.
• Create an advance directive.
• Know the names of healthcare providers and their role in your care.
• Be free from seclusion and restraints of any form that are not medically necessary for your safety or are used as a means of coercion, discipline, convenience or retaliation.
• Be free from all forms of abuse or harassment.
• Participate in ethical decisions around your care.
• Request medically appropriate and necessary treatment.
• Refuse treatment as allowed by law.
• Know what safety measures may be used during your care.
• Ask for a second opinion about your care.
• Proper assessment and management of your pain or discomfort.
• Request an interpreter.
• Review and obtain copies of your medical records.
• Receive treatment in an environment that is sensitive to your beliefs, values and culture.
• Be informed about the care you will need after discharge and available resources.
• Receive information about and an explanation of your hospital bill.
• Be informed of any relationship that we may have with organizations that may affect your care.
• Request that an autopsy be performed either here or arrange for any other institution of choice to perform.
• Consent or decline to participate in research studies.

Bristol Hospital is committed to providing all patients, and/or their representative the opportunity to express dissatisfaction.

1. A complaint is an issue that is easily solved while the patient is still in the hospital by staff present or anyone who can quickly be at the patient’s location. For example, the staff may request a supervisor, patient representative or other administrative member of the staff to assist in resolving the issue.
2. A grievance is a written complaint that is made to the hospital by a patient or the patient’s representative or a verbal complaint that has been referred to the Patient Experience and Customer Relations Department and the patient remains dissatisfied with the resolution or response from the hospital.
3. A written or verbal acknowledgement of all grievances will be made to the person filing it within seven business days. If the grievance is still under investigation after seven business days, an estimated time for final response will also be communicated to the complainant.
4. Time frames for reviewing will vary depending on the nature of the grievance. Periodic communication will continue if the resolution takes longer than 30 days.
5. The patient/patient representative will receive a written notice of Bristol Hospital’s investigation within one week of the completion of the review.